in

“Oberholz Mountain Hut” Restaurant In The Italian Alps

The “Oberholz Mountain Hut” is a restaurant and parlor facility which projects out from the Italian Dolomites at 2,000 m above sea level. The plan, which won a competition back in 2015, is planned by Milan-based firm Peter Pichler Architecture and Pavol Mikolajcak. Now finished, the new mount hut opens a restaurant destination placed next to the Oberholzcable station with direct contact to the snow-covered ski slopes. Peter Pichler Architecture and Pavol Mikolajcak designed a main cantilevering construction that obviously “grows” out of the sheer area to reference a fallen tree. This comparison is examined with the structure being distributed into three main “branches”. Inside, these branches double as house-shaped tubes that have been split into three dining areas; each ideally framing a charming view of the hill landscape. The hut’s insides follow the material appearance of the exterior which has been built all in wood: structural parts and interior in spruce, the façade in larch, furniture in oak – all standard timbers from the area. The disclosed truss system of the ceiling produces a vibrant visual expression and focuses attention on the sloping roof structure which gradually dissolves into the walls. In turn, this has produced “pockets” for more private spaces in the central restaurant and lounge area. Located in the lobby is a bar which opens out to a sprawling outdoor terrace and the journey continues into the restaurant. The project welcomes the local architecture known in the area and this naturally expresses a contemporary representation of the classic mountain hut.